diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/dir.c b/fs/ocfs2/dir.c
index 9fe5b8fd..8582e3f 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/dir.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/dir.c
@@ -2868,7 +2868,7 @@
 		bytes = blocks_wanted << sb->s_blocksize_bits;
 	struct ocfs2_super *osb = OCFS2_SB(dir->i_sb);
 	struct ocfs2_inode_info *oi = OCFS2_I(dir);
-	struct ocfs2_alloc_context *data_ac;
+	struct ocfs2_alloc_context *data_ac = NULL;
 	struct ocfs2_alloc_context *meta_ac = NULL;
 	struct buffer_head *dirdata_bh = NULL;
 	struct buffer_head *dx_root_bh = NULL;